Brief case



S. H. LIFTON July 10, 1951 BRIEF CASE '5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 10, 1947 INVENTOR.

S. H. LIFTON July 10, 195] BRIEF CASE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 10. 1947 IN V EN TOR.

s. H. LIFTON BRIEF c sE' July 10, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 10. 1947 I INVENTQR. I Mae-545..

Patented July 10, 1 951 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE Samuel H. Lil-ton, New York, N. Y.

Application July 10, 1947, Serial No. 760.081

The subject matter of this and improved brief case providing prim-arya nd secondary compartments for articles to be conveyed from place to place. More particularly the invention has to do with a brief case wherein the spaced outside panels thereof are advantageously secured to an intervening bellows'type of gusset to permit convenient expansion or spreading of the case if contracted and assure appropriate contraction of the case if expanded 01' spread out. In 'certaininstan'ces "it is preferable to sustain the full expanded rela= tion of at least one of the compartments of the brief case. Consequently the object of the invention is realized in the provision of conveniently controlled expandible and contractible means for sustaining the spread or expanded relation of at least one of the compartments of the brief case. Another object is to provide a novel and improved spreader having complementary and pivotally associated covered components interposed between spaced walls of a compartment and adapted to be brought in overlapping and close superimposition to define intervenor means to sustain the walls of the compartment widely spaced apart. Another object is to provide'a spreader of the character referred to wherein the complementary and swingable components thereof embody complementary disconnectable locking means to retain the expandible and contractible spreader fully expanded. Another object resides in the provision of means serving as a cover or carrier Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1, however illustrat- I ing the expandible spreader partly collapsed;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 exhibitingv the spreader fully expanded.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of Fig. 11 showing the brief case closed and contracted at which time the spreader is collapsed.

Fig. 4A is a sectional view on the line 4A4A ofiFig. 4 on a smaller scale.

Fig. 5A is a sectional view on the line 5A-5A of Fig. 5 on a smaller scale.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 depicting the spreader held in an expanded relation for enlarging the capacity of the briefcase.

invention is a usefulstoring suitable 2 Claims. (Cl. ISO-4J6) Fig. 6 is a. fragmentary view of Fig. 4 illustrat ing a slightly modified spreader.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary view of Fig. -5 however showing the spreader of Fig. 6 fully expanded.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the spreader ill-us trated in Figs. 1 -5, shown fully closed 'orcontracted.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the spreader shown in Fig. 8, retained in a fully expanded or opened relation.

Fig. 10 is an end elevational view of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the spreader illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, .and

Fig. 12 is an end elevational view of the spreader shown in Fig; 11 when contracted or closed.

Illustrative of the embodiments disclosed, the brief case generally denoted B comprises the out side and spaced panels I'D appropriately stitched to the intervenor gusset or bellows ll adapted to be fully expanded or opened as shown in Fig. '5.

Spaced partitions I2 secured to the bellows divide the inner primary compartment constituted" by the bellows and spaced panels [0 into the ancillary or'secondary compartments [4, l5 and- I6.

Inte'rvening the spaced partitions l2 for expanding the intermediate compartment I5 is an expandible and contractible spreader broadly designated S comprising swingably associated components or complements SA and SB of unequal heights and tapered as shown. v

In the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 5 and '8 to 10, the swingable components of the spreader S comprise leaves or bars I! and I8, and in their closed relation (Figs. 8 and 10) the upper end or margin IQ of bar l8 extends appreciably above the adjacent margin of the com.- pan-i-on bar [1. i

, To the inner faces of the bars i1 and I8 is. secured the flexible leather or cloth lining '20 havingthe intermediate relief looped portion 2 1,

constituting hinge means.

Appropriately secured to the outer faces of the leaves or bar I7 and I8 and to the outer face of end I9. is the outer flexible leather or cloth lining 22 having the relief portion or bridge 23 alsoconstituting hinge means disposed contiguous to theloop portion 2|, the arrangement being such that the relief means defined by the loop or looped portion 2| and bridge 23 permit the covered leaf. [8 to swing towards and against the covered bar or leaf. [1 to "overlap and lie against the latter as indicated in Figs. 5 and 9 in which instance. the outer lining 22. in fact becomes the upper lining and the inner lining 20 becomes the lower lining of the spreader. In other words, the covered leaves l1 and is are swingably cennetted along their up er innermost ends and by' such an arrangement the spreade'rS may be 3 fully ex anded or opened (Fig. 5) from its partly opened or contracted position (Fig. 4).

Further according to the form illustrated in Figs. 1-5 and 8 to 10 the secured lining 20 and 22 include lower marginal depending portions 24 fastened to the gusset I l and to the spaced partitions 12 by the lines of stitching 25. Thus the hingedl or swingably associated leaves or flaps l1 and [8 are also hingedly or pivotally connected to the lower part of the gusset.

To effectively retain the complementary swingable components of the spreader fully opened as shown in Fig. 5, these complements embody the complementary and disconnectable snap fastener means 26 and 21. It follows that the intermediate compartment 15 will be desirably held fully expanded in the interlocked relation of the snap fastener means, although the latter may be automatically opened upon moving the spacedrib portions 28 of the bellows or gusset ll towards each other and due to the retractive force of the leather bellows the spreader S thereafter automatically partially closes as illustrated in Fig. 4.

Partly spheroidal shaped feet or studs 29 are effectively fastened to the covered and swingable components SA and SB and these aid to take the load of the brief case when the latter is mounted on a supporting surface as is well understood.

In the embodiment according to Figs. 6, 7, 11 and 12 the leaves l1 and 18' of components SB and SA are likewise hingedly secured together and covered by the outer lining 22' which is also turned over and secured to the inner faces of these leaves (Fig. 12). Consequently the inner lining as 20 of Fig. 10 is eliminated in the spreader S shown in Figs. 6, 7, 11 and 12 wherein parts corresponding to the structure described in connection with the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and 8 to 11 have been primed. In other aspects the embodiment according to Figs. 6, 7, 11 and 12 is along the lines of the species shown in Figs. 1 to 5 and 8 to 10 and in all the forms disclosed, the complementary covered components of the .expandi-ble and contractible spreader is partly tapered as illustrated to define relief and tapering gaps (Fig. 9) and 30 (Fig. 11) when the spreader is expanding for clearing the end bulges 3| of the bellows or gusset II. In Fig. 12 the hinge means permitting the components of the spreader to be swung relative to each other is formed by the secured cover 22 and particularly by the relief portion or shelf 23. Of course in all the forms disclosed when the spreader is opened the covered components serve to limit such opening which takes place when the are in close overlapping relation. In the form shown in Figs. 6 and 7 the covering 22 is clear of the spaced ribs 28 and studs 29' are secured to the gusset H and the swingable components SA and SB.

Various changes may be made in details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof inherent therein.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture for a brief case wherein a compartment is defined by spaced walls and an intervening gusset; comprising, an expandible and contractible spreader adapted to be interposed between said walls and including a pair of components of unequal heights to position the upper margin of one of said components above the upper margin of the other component of said pair in the collapsed relation of said.

spreader, said components having tapered sides contracting upwardly and inwardly in respect to said compartment in said collapsed relation, a covering secured to the upper surface of said components andin part straddling the upper margin of the higher component of said pair and constituting hinge means adjacent the top of the upper margin of the shorter component of said pair to permit swinging of one of said components relative to the other, complementary snap fastener means secured to said upper margins, said margins in the fully expanded relation of said spreader being arranged in closed superimposed and overlapping relation whereby said sides define tapered and inwardly converging relief openings, and said snap fastener means adapted to maintain said margins in said overlapped relation.

2 As a new article of manufacture for a brief case wherein a compartment, is defined by spaced side walls, a bottom wall and an intervening expandible and contractible gusset; comprising, an expandible and contractible spreader adapted to be interposed between said side walls and adjacent said bottom wall and including a pair of leaves of unequal height to position the upper margin of the higher leaf above the upper margin of the shorter leaf of said pair in the collapsed relation of said spreader, said leaves having tapered sides contracting upwardly and inwardly inrespect to said compartment in said collapsed relation, a covering secured to the upper surface of said leaves and in part straddling the upper margin of said higher leaf and constituting hinge means disposed longitudinally of said spreader below the upper margin of said higher leaf and adjacent the top of said shorter leaf to permit swinging of one of said leaves relative to the other leaf of said pair, complementary snap fastener means secured to said upper margins,

' said margins in the fully expanded relation of said spreader being arranged in close superimposed and overlapping relation in respect to each other whereby said sides define tapered and inwardly converging relief openings having sides for straddling spaced portions of said gusset in the collapsed relation of the latter, said snap fastener means adapted to maintain said margins in said overlapped relation and adapted to retain said spreader in its fully expanded relation contiguous to said bottom wall, and said covering having lower margins extending beyond said leaves and adapted to be secured to spaced lower parts of said case contiguous to said side walls and bottom wall.

SAMUEL H. LIFTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

